Grilled Peppers and Onions with Crispy Potatoes

Occasionally you come across a recipe that blends simplicity, flavor and value into one incredibly tasty dish. While guests at the ALDI test kitchen recently we were able to try some of the recipes their chefs have developed using the same products we can buy everyday at our local store. For lunch they had a Mexican buffet and these Grilled Peppers and Onions with Crispy Potatoes were my favorite, so I just had to share this one with all of you.

This could possibly become my favorite side dish if I’m not careful, it works great as a fajita filler or as a simple side to almost any meal. And talk about value, the recipe really feeds a crowd. So much that I cut some of the ingredients in half to feed our family of five and had leftovers for lunch the next day.

Our boys are meat and potato types so when I adjusted the ingredients I made sure to keep them happy and added some extra potatoes to the recipe.

The folks at ALDI welcomed us to their Batavia, Illinois headquarters with a discussion on how the products that are in the stores must be as good or better than the national brands that are available in other stores. To show us what they mean we were invited to do a little tasting of our own.

The first stop was a little Wine and Cheese, now I’m not a big fan of wine but I really have to give a tip of the hat to their Sweet Red. I’m a fan and I’ll be serving it with Thanksgiving Dinner.

The cheese that we sampled was Colby Jack, priced at $1.79, compared to the leaded brand at $2.96. We really could not tell the difference.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, they really impressed us with the food served, showcasing the products you’ll have available at your local store this year. From the moist Roasted Turkey Breast perfect for an intimate gathering, the Apple Cider and Balsamic Glazed Spiral Ham and the delicious Mini Thanksgiving Bites (keep a lookout for this recipe we’ll be sharing it with you shortly).

After an enjoyable evening learning about how they develop their recipes in the ALDI test kitchens we were excited to head out the next morning to learn more about the everyday workings of your local ALDI.

While there, we were able to tour the local ALDI grocery store and visit with some talented folks from their headquarters, to learn how they value us, their customers, and how they are working everyday to keep their costs down so they can pass them along to the customer. One of their main focus is to keep all of the development of the product in their stores completely in house, from concept all the way through packaging design and shipping.

The next time you pick up one of their products, look at the packaging, now count the number of scannable UPC codes on the package and then compare the number to a national brand. Some of the ALDI packages will have as many as 7 UPC codes. This helps the employees get you through the checkout faster and is just one of the ways they can keep costs down.

Another cost saving practice is how the packaging is designed to be rolled off the truck and be displayed for your purchase with a minimum of time and labor. Check out the milk and egg carts during your next trip and try to count how much is on each, it’s mind boggling.

Stick with us as we bring you more delicious recipes we picked up during our visit that will bring the holidays home to your table.

Combine garlic powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl.

Add bell peppers, onions, olive oil and 2 tablespoons spice together in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Add 2 tablespoons of spice to the peeled and diced potatoes and toss. Add canola oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add potatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Add pepper and onion mixture back into skillet and cook until tender and charred.

Combine potatoes, peppers, onions.

Remove zest from 1 lime. In a small bowl, combine lime zest, the juice of 1 lime and sour cream. Slice the second lime into wedges. Serve with lime sour cream and lime wedges.

3.3.3077

Disclosure: Our trip to ALDI Headquarters was provided. As always, the opinions are all our own.

Comments

Hi Liz and Doug! I enjoyed this post on one of my favorite grocery stores, Aldi! The recipe sounds so good! I’ll have to make it soon! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!Bama Girl recently posted..The smell of apples is in the air again!

We are excited to welcome you to Pocket Change Gourmet, a collaborative effort aimed at helping families rediscover the joy of cooking a delicious frugal meal together. We look forward to sharing our ideas and experiences as we grow.